The Truth ➵ madison ziegler

nine

"I'm so happy for you!" Kalani squealed as she practically squeezed everything out of me in one of the school hallways on Monday.

"Yeah, I'm happy for me too, but could you please let me breathe for a second?" I barely managed to say.

"Oops, sorry," Kalani laughed as she let go of me. "I guess you probably need to stay alive if you actually want to be in a music video."

"Yeah that might actually be helpful," I responded. "Otherwise we would have to send Mackenzie disguised as me."

"Because she looks nothing like you," she sarcastically remarked.

"Well there are some differences," I pointed out.

"True."

"What studio are you going to be with for nationals?" I inquired, because I wasn't sure if she would be with the ALDC or Club Dance. I hoped she would stay with the ALDC, but her dancing is remarkable when she's at Club Dance.

"I think I'm going with Club, but I haven't made a decision for sure yet," Kalani answered.

"Where are they going?"

"The Dance Awards, New York this time, so same as if I would stay here," she explained.

"Well at least you'll be at the exact same place with either studio," I sympathized.

"Yeah. I want to go with Club because I know for sure that I'll have a good solo and all of my friends, but then I kinda want to stay here with everyone at the ALDC," Kalani confessed.

I wish I could dance at Club Dance. I love how everyone there is best friends, how flexible they are, Alexa's choreography, and how everyone who dances there is goals. The studio is even goals.

"I absolutely hate those situations," I mused.

"Me too, they're the worst," she replied.

"Gosh, no kidding."

"So do you know-" I started, until I was cut off by the bell.

"Talk to you later!" Kalani called from behind her back, already halfway down the hallway.

"Bye?" I said, knowing she couldn't hear me anyways.

∞

"Hey, Maddie," Gino greeted while he was walking through the school hallway.

"Um, could I actually talk to you for a second?" I questioned.

"Yeah, totally," he responded. He walked over to my locker and asked, "So, what's up?"

"Well, I um, I guess I don't really know how to say it, but," I stammered.

"Just tell me, it's okay," Gino encouraged.

"I-I don't really think that this whole thing is working out," I confessed.

"What do you mean?"

"I don't think I like you as much as I thought I did," I described.

"Like, you don't think our relationship is going to work?" he inquired, shocked.

I let out a sigh. "I guess I should probably tell you the truth," I declared.

"What truth? You are telling me the truth," Gino argued.